Dharamshala: The 33rd anniversary of conferment of Nobel Peace Prize on His Holiness the Dalai Lama was celebrated today at the Thekchen Choeling  by the CTA officials.

It was attended by the Acting Chief Justice Commissioner Karma Dadul, Sikyong Penpa Tsering, Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering, Security Kalon Dolma Gyari, DIIR Kalon Norzin Dolma, Election and Public Service Commissioner Wangdu Tsering Pesur, Parliamentarians and Secretaries and staff of the CTA and the general public.

Also in attendance was chief guest Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, member of Parliament- Lok Sabha; special guests Shri Sujeet Kumar, member of Parliament-Rajya Sabha and convenor of All Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet; and advocate Tashi Gyalson, the Chief executive councillor(CEC) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council and the councillors of the  Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.

The programme began with the hoisting of the Tibetan national flag by the Sikyong and singing of the Tibetan and Indian national anthems, which was followed by the singing of the Nobel Peace Prize song by the TIPA artists.

In his address, Sikyong Penpa Tsering expressed his gratitude to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and reiterated the relevance of His message of peace even in the 21st century when war and conflicts prevail. “His Holiness the Dalai Lama received the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize in recognition for his consistent advocacy of non-violence to resolve the Sino-Tibet conflict. This award symbolizes recognition by the Nobel Committee for His Holiness’s constructive effort and commitment towards addressing international conflict resolution, human rights violations and global environmental challenges.”

“The endeavour to transform the 21st century into a century of dialogue and peace by learning lessons from the devastation of war and conflict of the previous century has not yet materialized. Therefore, it is evident that the broad vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama continues to remain relevant and indispensable for the entire humanity,” he added.

Deputy Speaker Dolma Tsering delivered the Parliament’s statement noting that the day coincided with International Human Rights Day which was being celebrated across the world, however, the people in dictatorship countries were suffering under the most repressive conditions such as those inside Tibet.

Chief guest MP Jamyang T. Namgyal from Ladakh addressed the gathering highlighting the commonality between Tibetans and Ladhakis in terms of language and culture, particularly, His Holiness trust and confidence on Ladakhis to preserve and promote the distinct culture. He also expressed gratitude to the Tibetan administration for provision of education to Himalayan people who make up over 60% of the population in monasteries and schools in the north-east region.

Special guest MP Shri Sujeet Kumar similarly expressed the strong connection he felt towards the cause of Tibet and as someone who had visited Tibet in 2009 shared the repression he had seen and which has only multiplied over the years. He commended Tibetans for being the perfect guests and hailed the friendship of the two countries from time immemorial.

Advocate and the Chief executive councillor(CEC) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Tashi Gyaltson said that Ladakh held a special place in His Holiness’ heart and shared his hope that the latter would visit Ladakh soon.

The event also featured the launch of TIPA ‘s Yarkyi musical series by Jigme T. Namgyal, launch of a book by Dr Jigme Gedun on practice of Tibetan medicinal therapy by Sujeet Kumar, and the felicitation of Men Tsee Khang staff Kelsang Choedon on completion of 25 years of service.

Later, Sikyong Penpa Tsering attended the 25th Himalayan festival hosted by the Indo-Tibetan Friendship Association (ITFA), an organisation of Tibetans and Indians working in Dharamshala since 1995, which has organised a two-day fest on December 10-11 featuring Tibetan and Indian cultural events.